Speech #580001293

Cubas most valuable sugar crop was gathered in 1894. when. according to Government reports. it reached the sum of nearly $80 000 000 due largely to the fact that it had free entry into the United States. With favorable climatic conditions the next crop will probably reach 1.100.000 tons. which competent authorities believe to be about the limit of production with the present supply of labor. The modification of the immigration laws of the Republic. which are the same as those of the United States. is generally advocated by the planters and commercial classes. The present lawsexclude the peasants of the Canary Islands. on whom Cuba has always largely depened for the cultivation of its sugar crop. and more especially for its harvesting. That the adoption of the pending treaty of reciprocity with the United States would stimulate the industry to some extent is generally admitted. but the pretended fear of the beetsugar people that their industry would be seriously menaced by a reduction of onethird of a cent per pound of the duties on Cuban sugar is groundless.